The provision of packaging means e.g. containers or cartons for the distribution of bottled and canned beverages, for example beer and ale, is a major aspect of the beverage manufacturing industry in North America and elsewhere. The container itself should be of the lowest cost consistent with adequate protection, both mechanical and, important from an alcoholic beverage viewpoint, from light, for its contents. It should be supplied to the beverage manufacturer in a compact (usually flat or "knocked down") form and must be conveniently, i.e. easily and rapidly erectable for reception of bottles or cans containing the beverage and sealed following such filling.
Many containers (cartons) at present in use in the alcoholic beverage industry are of the top loading type, that is, the top wall of the carton is constituted by a pair of side panels and a pair of end panels, attached to associated side and end walls; overlying the end panels and extending from its associated side wall to about the midpoint of the carton so as to abutt, but not overlap, the other side panel. The cartons are supplied by the manufacturer in a collapsed condition and are in most instances erected mechanically leaving the panels in an opened condition to allow the bottles or cans to be introduced by dropping into the container. The end panels are then folded into position overlying the bottles or cans; adhesive applied to the outer surface thereof; and the side panels are then folded over and onto the side flaps and become secured thereto by the adhesive. Further, many of such containers have a handhole in one end wall; refer, for example, to U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,135. It should be emphasized, that such containers generally enclose six, twelve or even twenty-four bottles or cans which, when filled, constitute a relatively heavy load and apply quite severe mechanical strains to the container. For example, six filled "pint" bottles of an alcoholic beverage such as ale or beer weigh about 120 oz. In many instances, for example, in the Canadian context where all such bottles and cans are returnable, the container must also be adapted to receive the bottles or cans when empty to enable same to be returned. The result is that, when the cartons are being carried there is a force created tending to disengage the side panels from the end panels and so open the container with obviously disadvantageous results. Although as stated, in most instances such containers are sealed with adhesive using high speed equipment, there are a significant number of occasions, such as when a carton is damaged in a retail store or the beverage in question has such a low volume that running a high speed packaging line is not justified, when hand packaging or repackaging, is carried out. Presently, in the latter situations, all the operations including the gluing and sealing the containers are messy, inconvenient time-consuming manual operations.
In various food areas, for example, the packaging of breakfast cereals, etc., containers or cartons are known of the type wherein the top wall is constituted by two overlapping side flap members, which, in the original unopened condition are glued together. Upon opening, a tab is formed in the middle portion of one flap, which tab is adapted to be inserted into a slot in the other side flap whereby the two side flaps are maintained in a loose engagement and so close the container; the objective being to prevent ingress of foreign matter such as dust or the like into the container. The arrangement contributes little, if any, mechanical strength to the package which characteristic, in any event, is not important or required in such applications. In such containers, the tab is loosely located in its associated slot and is in a plane virtually parallel to the top wall of the container, i.e. such containers are merely closed rather than tightly sealed as is the case of the beer and similar containers.
A similar objective is achieved in the carton disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 812,099 by providing each end flap with a tab having a neck portion secured or hinged to said end flap and a transverse locking tongue member. Corresponding side flaps have notches in their abutting end edges such that when the side flaps are in an abutting relationship overlying the interior of the container, adjacent notches combine to define an aperture. To close the container, the locking tongue is inserted through the aperture and abutts the top surface of the underlying end flap thereby loosely "locking" the container. As taught by the patent, such containers are used to enclose large but light items. A very similar container is disclosed in Canadian Pat. No. 1,016,913, the only difference being that the tongue member is bendible so as to be able to contact the underside of the end flap. Both these containers are designed for light loads and, as indicated by the lack of handholes or the like, when carried, are obviously intended to be supported from a mechanical viewpoint by the arms of the person carrying them. Additionally, the containers are designed to be used without the need for costly packaging equipment. If such a container, carrying any significant load whatsoever, were to be supported by a handle or the like on an end wall, the locking tongue or whole tab would, unless the carton material used was impracticably strong, be torn away. Moreover, such a handle would also be ineffective if included on a side wall since the bowing effect caused by the container contents would merely result in the side flap becoming disengaged from its associated locking tab arrangement and the carton opening with potentially disastrous results for the contents.
In summary, these containers are closed for presentation purposes, the means of closing the containers not assisting the mechanical strength and integrity of the container in any manner.
An object of the present invention is to provide a beer carton or like container for containing relatively heavy loads and which may conveniently and rapidly be sealed manually without adhesive but which carton may, if required, be sealed with adhesive using standard high speed automated equipment.